Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Proto Child Chronicle
by Izcer4
Summary: A different take on the events of NGE, what of Rei wasn't the first product of the HIP?
1. Default Chapter

Greetings everyone. Here is yet another story from my warped mind, committed to electronic words across the vastness that is the Internet. This story, based in the Evangelion series, is a tad different. Anyone who frequents a few of the MUCKS I am on will recognize some aspects. For the rest of, it's a long story, one of the reasons I decided to write about it. The world is Evangelion, with a few twists. These make the characters a tad more believable in my opinion, as well as allowed for the central character to exist in the first place. One word of warning. A few of the subjects that will be addressed are of a more mature nature. You have been warned. As usual, all comments and criticisms are read and applied where possible, flames are laughed at and sent to the depths of Asgart.  
  
  
This Fanfiction contains MATURE content. Not a Lemon, but it does contain detailed descriptions of naked females, and lecherous, if not illegal acts. If you are not of proper age, or maturity, DO NOT READ THIS.  
  
  
This is a work of FANFICTION, and should be treated as such.  
  
The central characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion are copyrighted by GAINAX and others. Their descriptions, and some aspects of their displayed psyches are used without permission.  
  
  
  
  
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Proto-Child Chronicles  
Chapter 1: Birth of Natima  
By Iczer4 Izcer4@rocketmail.com  
  
  
He smiled wickedly. He had won the argument. Gendo sat in his chair, the papers on his desk the source of his evil grin, and the thoughts running through his twisted, sickened mind. The council agreed to let him begin the Human Instrumentality Project, and released the needed funds and technology to him for it. At last, he could have what he wanted. Life was good.  
  
He had offloaded the pitiful excuse of a son he had onto his brother for a few years, albeit, it would cost him a bit, but he wouldn't have to deal with him. Perhaps in a few years he would have need for him, if what was supposed to be would be. The Akagi's were working hard, the MAGI almost complete, as was the groundwork for project EVA. The only down side, although in it's own way it was a plus, was he had lost his wife. Love wasn't a real factor, he had cared, but almost more for the mind, than the person and the body. Not that it would be an issue for much longer, not with the resources he now had. He chuckled, and began to draw up a plan for his newly acquired means to manipulate those around him for his own needs.  
  
  
In the council chambers, halfway across the world from Tokyo-3, the SEELE Council reconvened for an impromptu session. The 5 members sitting at their chairs, each illuminated by a different color light. In the far end of the room, cloaked in shadows, was a person. Most likely male, but not certain. This was SEELE's handyman. They waited for Number 1 to arrive, then they began.  
  
"Do you think it wise to allow him access to the genetic tools?"  
  
"Perhaps it would have been better if another group had been given the HIP."  
  
"That an is a duplicitous man, full of treachery, already he has forsaken his own wife, as well as other crimes."  
  
"That is irrelevant." Number 1 said, "He alone has the people capable of beginning the project, who can also be dealt with later once their usefulness is complete. He has the only MAGI system even close to completion. Besides, his own ego and blindness to certain things will only aide us, not hinder us."  
  
"Yes, but basically we gave him funds, and the archives to let him create life of his own design, the complete information of Genetic Engineering and creation. How do we know he can be trusted?"  
  
"We do not, that is why agent Bengal is here. We know roughly what he intends to do, however, we need some control of the situation."  
  
"Yes master, how can I help?" The dark figure asked.  
  
"You will access the first attempt of him to use the HIP information, and assure that we maintain control, by whatever means needed."  
  
The dark figure, nodded, and left, bowing deeply. He owed these men his very life, even though he yearned for release from it.  
  
"I hope this doesn't haunt us later."  
  
"Bengal has never failed us. We have not only ourselves, but in this case, the entire world to look out for. We know what is coming, they do not. We must be prepared for this, and we must prepare the world. Even though they cannot know of their own fate."  
  
"Very well. With that taken care of, this meeting is adjourned." Number 1 said, and vanished from sight.  
  
All the points winked out.  
  
  
Bengal sat in his room. A spacious apartment, even by today's standards. He mused on how times had changed these last 2000 years. He owed the SEELE people his life, or rather Number 1. He pulled back his cloak, to reveal a face grizzled with the signs of age and experience, eyes that bore wisdom beyond the apparent age. He sighed, and went to his table, picking up, off all thing a bible. He mused, as this was source of some truth, but mainly misconceptions and lies. He had been there, he knew what really happened. Bengal sat down, looking outside his home, at the bustling people, unaware their own fate was being controlled and manipulated. Mothers, fathers, and children. Children, he thought. He had lost his only daughter many many years before, and he longed for death ever since then. He glanced over at a small old, parchment paper sketch, possibly his only truly valued possession. The young girl on it looking happy and pleased. His daughter, all he had left of her was this picture, and his memories. He walked to his bed, and laid down, slipping into restless slumber. He had not slept well at all for almost 100 years. For Bengal, like Number 1 was one of the unfortunate souls doomed to wander the earth for all time, until such time as the race ends, or they prove themselves worthy of redemption.  
  
  
Gendo sat at his desk, going over exactly what this 'HIP' project was, or more specifically, what it could do to further his own agenda. Now that the way had been cleared, he had many ideas running through his mind, many ideas of what to do. The only snag was, and he knew it, was to make sure, at least for a while, that it appeared his own aims were in line with the Council's. This was simple, relatively speaking. The project merely seemed to be looking into the next step of human evolution, a way to tangibly define a soul, and keep it even after the body has died. He set his papers down and turned around looking outside his office. Not yet complete, the large pyramid that would become the base for the newly named NERV, under his official control, located inside the geofront of Tokyo-3, still did not offer the sense of security he desired. Due to the ongoing building, his windows were still normal glass, and the door still had a keyslot in it. Only the area known an Central Dogma was under lockdown, the crews that had built it killed, lest they tell others what they had been doing. He smiled, for in less than 3 days, he could begin working down there, down where the secrets disappeared, and the real truth was plainly visible.  
  
  
Dr Akagi Sr looked over her panel. The MAGI were almost complete. Two were completely done, up and running, and the third would soon be. She cursed herself, for despite her own intelligence, it still took 'help' from her daughter Ritsuko to complete the project. She didn't care for her daughter much, she had her brains, her looks, and her own stubbornness. Thankfully though, that bothersome Yui was finally out of the way, now she and Gendo didn't have to try and hide it. She smiled, knowing what had happened, hearing Yui scream in pain, it brought a thrill to her body. She also knew that Gendo had received permission to use the Dogma equipment, and the MAGI were still in the process of receiving all the files from the Council, which was a slow and agonizing process, since the dedicated lines for the supercomputers hadn't been run yet. She crawled out of the access port of one of her babies, closing Melchior back up, and locking him back into running position, having completed the final test. She sat back in her portable station chair, and sighed deeply, and watched the screen. Once again, she had managed to increase the transfer rate between Melchior and Balthazar. She conveniently forgot that it was her daughters hyperlinks that let her do this. She watched as a large flow of data was being requested by someone. Bringing up a task manager, she saw that Gendo had requested several large files, including a selective dump of the genetic coding database. She smiled, knowing he must be getting ready to do a trial in the Dogma chamber. She looked at the request. Along with most of the files coming from the council, and a large portion of code base data from the female population of the sampled world, she noted that her own DNA code file was in the mix as well. She smiled, hoping she would have her own DNA codes incorporated into this 'being of all time' Gendo had hinted at now being able to make. She laughed to herself, and completely missed the scrolling indication that Yui Ikari's entire file had been requested as well.  
  
  
Bengal sat at his terminal, watching Gendo. Although thousands of miles away, it was still realtime. He watched as he polled for thousands of files to be sent to his desk. Bengal knew already that was a feint to throw off Dr Akagi. The woman was headstrong, ambitious and full of herself. Compliment her once or twice, make her feel important, and you can wrap her around your finger. Bengal dove into Gendo's terminal, wanting to know what was really happening. He laughed, finding a bit of poetic justice in it. The file on Akagi DNA had been tossed out, as had almost all of the rest of the DNA code files. Only a few remained, including an almost complete version of his late wife, Yui. Bengal felt a twinge of regret. He had known what happened, and actually had to be a part of it, in a distant fashion, and knew he had left a young boy alone without a caring mother, only a dark souled father. He shook the feeling for know, concentrating on the task at hand. The remaining DNA files were a bit of a mismatch. Many of then were from sampled people of very high intelligence, which was alright, but there was a large number of files from people who only seemed to share submissiveness in common. Bengal requested a live feed copy of everything Gendo terminal did, and would do, leaving the logging on. The fact that Gendo left his wife's file almost entirely intact didn't sit well, since Bengal knew the woman, although intelligent, and quite beautiful, was no more than another pawn to Gendo, used to further his ideas, at the cost of her own life. Begal shut down the Terminal, and made a preliminary report for the council, sending it off, then turning in for the night to reflect on what had transpired.  
  
  
"What has Bengal to report on the activities of newly information wealthy Gendo?"  
  
"Do you want direct assesment, or opinions?"  
  
"Both. Bengal has shown in the past a certain knack for having opinions and ideas which pan out."  
  
"Directly, he is throwing off many, including his own head research doctor, and culling through a fairly good sized piece of the DNA database. The remote telemetry indicates the chamber is being prepped for initial code verification and DNA archtype bug checking. Based on these findings, it is surmised that Gendo plans on at least testing a DNA sequence in the chambers non-volatile section soon. Based on the DNA files, it will be female in gender, but beyond that it is difficult to surmise."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"No. The 'package' has been secured in the geofront, and appears to be normal. Parties witness to this move have been dealt with properly. The MAGI system is operating above expected levels, and the remaining MAGI systems will be brought to their level in short order. Bengal requests a direct presence, should they try something unforeseen."  
  
"That is odd, does he give a reason for this request."  
  
"Not directly, just, in his words 'An odd premonition it would be best' is all there is."  
  
"I see. What of his subjective results?"  
  
"He suspects Gendo will attempt to create a hybrid, female in gender, aesthetically similar to his late spouse. Augmenting intelligence, while assuring complete control over the subject. It is also noted he will probably instill false memories and past, along with a fair amount of knowledge into the test subject, thus allowing him to test the accelerated growth system of the chamber. Bengal states sections of this are expected, but without direct presence, there is no way to be certain he will not try and create something which only he has control of, thus circumventing our chain of command."  
  
"I see. Is there any other opinions, either in the report or of our own?"  
  
"I must stress, that while Bengal is very reliable and has a track record to back him up, he still is to an extent free of our influence. A necessary evil for his line of work. While I see no problem with his analysis, I question if perhaps there is more than he is saying in his report, possibly a hidden agenda."  
  
"Out of the question. He has served us faithfully for over 500 years."  
  
"Yes. His record shows errors in the past, mistakes he has made, a few a bit more severe and costly than others. He is still human, but I see no reason to doubt him. He knows, as we do that he cannot leave this world as long as our ultimate project goes unfinished."  
  
"Enough. Have Burmese begin a casual watch on Bengal, to qualm your fears, but allow Bengal to have his direct presence."  
  
"Do you think that's wise?"  
  
"Whether it is wise or not is irrelevant. The end is at hand, the tunnel is nearly at it's end. There is little anyone can do now, least of all Bengal, to stop the events set in motion."  
  
"Very well."  
  
Four of the points vanished. A minute or two later, Bengal entered, looking impassive at the head of the council.  
  
"Bengal, you know what you seek is impossible. Yet you still ask me. Why?"  
  
"Sir, I have gone so long in this world of darkness. I still serve the council, and always will. You know my reasons. Is it really too much to ask?"  
  
"I suppose not. I hope your assumptions are wrong in this case, for the scenario you outline....One is a nightmare, the other tolerable, and maybe the human thing to do. But that is partially at the core of this entire mess."  
  
"I understand sir. I only make my report and summations on the data I have acquired, and the events I have witnessed or been a hand in."  
  
"Yes, I know. Very well. Pack your belongings you will need. You are headed for the Geofront. Be wary, for as you heard, Burmese will be casually watching you now. Be careful not to betray my trust in you old friend."  
  
"Of course. I seek only the same goals as you."  
  
The head of the council stood and walked to his friend. He reached out, and handed Bengal possibly the greatest gift he could ever give him. He placed a data disc into Bengal's hand, and returned to his seat, and vanished. Bengal stifled a tear, looking at the disc in his hand. All these years, maybe he could find a modicum of forgiveness now. He left to pack his things, he had a long flight ahead of him. He safely tucked the disc into his shirt pocket. He held his hand there for a moment, once more, she was near him, for the disc, one of the only ones not in the database, was the DNA of Bengal's daughter. A complete copy of everything she was, now close to her father, in some small way, once more.  
  
  
  
Gendo was upset. His initial test had produced some annoying errors, to the point they would never allow the subject to live. He had indeed made a hybrid, a mix of several people's DNA structure, mostly his dead wife's, and some from the special guest he had under lock and key in the bottommost part of the Geofront. On the upside, he now had a name for his group, NERV. This was so much easier than the old name, even if it wasn't public yet. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. This would be his triumph. Yes, it would facially be his wife. But the intelligence would be above even Dr Akagi's. He smirked, the letch in him happy, since it would also have the body hot enough to melt tank armor, at least as far as he was concerned. And the best part, no free will, completely obedient to him, and him alone. His doll, his toy, his companion. Every last micron of her made to his exact wishes. The only thorn right now was a 'visitor' from the Council. Even if he seemed unassuming, and not interested in the Dogma chamber, it was a problem. However, Akagi had detected no hacking, or subterfuge on his part, in fact the secret monitor in his room showed he had a very boring life. He shrugged it off, and went back to creating his perfect little plaything.  
  
Bengal lay on his bed in the Geofront. Fooling the cameras was easy, the small box attached to them would ensure it always looked like he was leading a boring life. Fooling the MAGI was also easy, using the council's hidden overrides for security. What was troubling him was Gendo. He had finally gotten a dump of the DNA sequence he was testing, and it was a long process crunching it, else he raise suspicions. Most of the sequence was laughable. In fact, he could tell the first 3 iterations and variations had failed the pre substrate tests. It was the later tests. Gendo had used more of the 'package's DNA than was expected. Bengal knew this one would succeed, but the question was, how was it going to? Was Gendo going to advance the age to about 14 and fix it there, or to about 8 and let the test grow the rest. Why had he gone and adjusted things that seemed to make no sense. He turned over, and went to sleep, for tomorrow he actually went to the chamber.  
  
Gendo beemed, he had it. This DNA sequence passed all the tests. Forget the council. He stood in front of a large tube of yellowish fluid, the tube filled with the stuff that would make his doll. He reached down, and toggled the enable, and the machinery came to life. A low thrumming filled the room, the machinery doing it's magic. Manipulating the 4 basic chemicals that controlled all that was a person, arranging them into the order the coding said to. Several hours later, Gendo left, the basic sequence complete, replication and embryonic creation having been secured. He left for bed, for nothing could stop his doll from coming to be now.  
  
The spark happened. Life had begun. The being grew, it's mind slowly waking. Concepts of self, others, body, mind all filled in rapidly, just fast enough for it to be absorbed, not enough to drive it insane....yet.  
  
Bengal cursed. He had been delayed for 2 days. But his revenge was Gendo was 'called' to a council meeting, as Bengal left the lift, bound for the Dogma chamber. He strolled past the security systems. He took a deep breath, and slid his card into the reader, the green light beeped, and the door opened. He walked in, and the door closed, the room's lights coming up. Bengal looked around and turned his attention to the tube. He walked to the terminal and looked at it. His eyes went wide, his mouth dried up. He glanced to the tube, and to the terminal, his fists slowly clenching. The nerve, the monster, how dare he. How dare he pervert pureness of new life with his own base needs. He read the display. Light blue hair, skin to die for. Body dimensions were beyond his ability to decipher, but the test wasn't stopping at a young age, it appeared the cycle was locked into age 14 human female for biological settings. The mind was tremendous, abilities to rival the finest of all time. He cursed, and was just about to reach into his pocket for his disc and overides. He could not allow this depravity to occur. The door opened behind him, and in walked Gendo, with a pistol aimed at him.  
  
"So, you seemed to have found your way down here."  
  
"You monster!"  
  
"I am the God, you are the monster. I am the saviour of the world. I will make the new species how I choose."  
  
"You are evil. I should have killed you years ago."  
  
"Now you will never live to see another day."  
  
"Wrong." Bengal said, placing his hand on the console. "I am in front of the Tube, and have the ability to overide the lock and kill the test before it finishes. Plus, I know the tube isn't bullet proof."  
  
Bengal was bluffing, he knew Gendo had replaced the tube with bullet resistant materials, but needed a few seconds. WIth his other hand, he reached to his side, calm looking, and hit a small transponder which was sewn into each of his slacks. He touched it, and it sent a small tigle into his skin, letting him know it worked. He simply smiled at Gendo  
  
"I see you find some irony in this. Who are you really, and why does the Council wish to stop me from ushering in the new species?"  
  
"You are ushering in an innocent life, and making her your puppet. I cannot allow that to happen. What I know goes to the grave with me. You will never know....."  
  
"Pity, I think I shall...."   
  
Saying so, Gendo fired the pistol, four times. The man tourqued, and shook with each shot, one passing clear through him, hitting the tube, only a small scratch resulting. Gendo smiled, and watched the blood smears drip on the tube, as the man sunk to the floor. He patted the tube, knowing she was safe, knowing in just a few more hours, she would begin to develop into what he truly wanted. Her mind as well, turning from open and free to his and closed. He chuckled, and left the room. As the door closed, he failed to notice the near-dead man's hand move.  
  
Bengal was in pain. It was comforting, he had not felt such in many many years. A modicum of realism before he faced the end. He moved his bleeding ragged body slowly, painfully to the terminal's base. He managed to pull the disc from his pocket, and almost died. A corner of the case, and a small section of the media inside were damaged by a round. He cursed, but it would have to work. This abomination would not serve Gendo, nor would it truly serve the Council. It would have a chance at life, even if it was to be a tortured soul like his own. He painfully lifted the disc to the terminals port, and slid it in, and fell over near the small crack in the tube. A single drop of the fluid seeped out of the crack, and headed for his outstreched hand. He saw it, and weakly smiled.  
  
"Protect her, my daughter...." He wheezed to the terminal, the disc actually "protect her from herself...and the danger she must...face...." and he lapsed into oblivion as the drop of LCL touched him, and his body liquefied instantly, brining him peace at last.  
  
The Terminal came back on, and scanned the disc in it's port. It booted it up, and the viral program ran, inserting new sequences and codes and instructions into the DNA coding for the tube. Changing this, altering that, fulfilling the wishes of both the Council, and Bengal. When it finished, per it's own built in device, it ejected itself from the terminal, and vaporized itself, leaving no trace it had ever existed.  
  
  
  
Somewhere inside the mind of the tube......  
  
'Hello?'  
  
'Hello, who are you?'  
  
'Don't worry. Are you having fun?'  
  
'Yes!'  
  
'Can I play with you?'  
  
'Um...okay'  
  
'Thanks, I think it'll be fun for a long time to come'  
  
  
  
Gendo returned to the room some time later, only mildly upset that the man was not there. Oh well, he thought, he was dead anyways. He looked at tube, only a few more hours, and she would be complete. She was a picture of perfection. Her mind, already intelligent beyond almost the rest of the planet, filling with knowledge and information, all with perfect clarity and recall. Her face lovely, exactly that of his late wife. Long flowing hair, light blue. Only her eye color was different, deep, blood red. He mused, saving his appraising look of her body till she was out of the tube. He turned and left, for he now had to draw up documents of her birth and name, even if they were all faked. He had already decided on a name too.  
  
Burmese smiled. So this was what Bengal was willing to give up his life for. Interesting. He knew some of his late associates past, so the fact that he had died was a tad odd, and the Council would want to know why. He looked over the papers on his desk once more. He prepared a preliminary report, along with a few things Bengal had requested be sent to the council, when Gendo walked into his office in the Medical wing.  
  
"Greetings Commander, how can I help you today?" Burmese asked, for his cover had always been a doctor for this rather odd bunch.  
  
"Doctor, you have been with us since the beginning of this. I have a young lady who is in need of a medical exam, to determine if she is fit. Both mentally and physically. If she is, we will be 'acquiring' her for our purposes."  
  
"I understand, may I ask why me? There are other Doctors with more practical experience in physicals."  
  
"You have been with us the longest, and know more about our goals and pasts. You are the wiser choice since are still with us, and have fewer objections. Here is the paperwork." Gendo said, dropping a folder on his desk.  
  
"I see." Burmese said, flipping through the folder, "We have her entire past in here."  
  
"Yes, she is either acquired, or she will not leave alive."  
  
"I understand, do we have a name on this young woman?"  
  
"Yes. Her name is Imanaya. Imanaya Natima."  
  
"Natima, nice name."  
  
"Yes, excuse me, I have work to attend to Doctor."  
  
Burmese nodded, and watched him leave, opening the folder back up. He skimmed through the folder, all the documents forgeries, but good ones. Birth Certificate, Immunizations, schooling records, falsified medical reports. He smirked, Gendo did a good job on these. He closed the file, and stood up. Might as well do this exam first, then send his report. something told him it would be better to have his report be late with her included, than on time without. He walked into a prep room, removed his coat, and donned his medical garb. He stepped into the exam room, and the scent of LCL filled his nose. Crap, he thought, Gendo couldn't even be bothered to wash her up after she came out of the tube, that ass. He sighed, and walked behind the curtain separating him from the patient, first double checking to make sure the doors were locked, and the surveillance gear at an acceptable state of usefulness.  
  
He looked at the table, and even his jaw almost dropped at the sight. Now this was something worth sticking your neck out for. Bengal you sly dog, he thought, and gave a long appraising lok to the unconscious young woman on the table. Starting at her feet. Perfectly formed, with no abnormalities in the bone structure, with a perfect arch, meaning she would look stellar in pumps, flats, or heels, and feel no discomfort. The skin on the bottom of her soles already a bit thicker. Her slender, and long legs similar. Muscle tone that could stop just about anyone at several paces, and make other women jealous at the same time, also with no abnormalities to the skin or bones. Sensual creamy thighs, connected to nice, wide hips. Not wide enough to be ugly, but not skinny, definitely a womans hips. Nestled between the thighs, was her center, perfectly formed, so inviting looking, and clean, not a single hair anywhere. Burmese scoffed, for he knew exactly now what some of Gendo's designs were for this young lady. Rolling her over, he looked over her near perfect backside. Well formed cheeks, slightly resilient to touch, and the muscle firm, not flabby. He checked her spine, exactly straight, a textbook perfect example of what it should be, only tiny nubs betraying the vertebrae. In any backless garb she would look stunning, thought Burmese. He rolled her back over, laying her on her back, and checked her abdomen. Once again, firm, no flab, nearly no body fat, with toned trimmed muscles, even her belly button was neat and almost too perfect. He went up some more, to find what would give her many problems and compliments.   
  
Resting on her chest, at the age of 14 were a pair of breasts that some nursing mothers would never had. Easily a handful each, round and firm. Each one with a smallish light pink Areola, tipped with a small nipple. They sat proudly on her, jutting out, not losing their form even though she was on her back. He reached a hand under, feeling for the back muscles, and sure enough, they were tighter than normal, so apparently these wonder mounds would not cause discomfort. He gulped, and so wanted to, but not wanted to. He slowly reached out, he was a man after all, and ran a hand over one of the globes. It was warm and firm, perfect for several activities his somewhat depraved mind began thinking of. He pulled back quickly, as a soft moan came from the young woman's mouth as he did so. After a moment, he relaxed, and cursed Gendo, the man truly was a pig. He checked her arms and hands, their tone muscles, which he surmised were stronger than they needed to be, topped off by fingers just the right length and width. He checked her neck, and looked at her face for a while. He hair, light blue in color was matted and all over, covered in the LCL fluid from the creation tube. Light eyebrows sat above each eye, with a delicate nose. Lips that almost screamed to be kissed as they looked now, but upon inspection, looked fairly normal when pressed together.  
  
Opening her mouth, he checked her teeth, pearly white, no defect, angles or anything, not even morning breath. He smirked again, if Gendo had known he was working for the Council, he would never had let him perform the physical. Closing her mouth, he checked, and drained her ears, and her nose as well. He opened her eyes, and drew in his breath a little. Blood red eyes looked back at him. He noted this, ina way it added to her charm, but he would have to look into it later as to why they were like that. The physical inspection done, he drew some fluids, and sent to the lab, and began to wash her off. Once done, he laid a white sheet over her, leaving her head exposed, and turned up the temperature in the med room. He then proceeded to take all the scan tests. X-rays, CAT scans, MRI cross sections. He began to see just what Gendo had put into this woman. A part of him felt sorry for her. Here she was, with a body to die for, and hopefully a mid to match, destined to be Gendo's little doll for all her life. A small voice told him maybe Bengal saw that too, and that's why he did what he did. Burmese shook his head. He did his job for the council. I t was not his place to look into the private items of Bengal's even if he was gone. He finished the scan, sent the films to be developed, and went and got a chair, gently coaxing the young woman awake. She groaned a bit, as if a young person not wanting to get up on a Saturday home from school, right down to the mumbling of wanting 5 more minutes. Gradually her eyelids fluttered open, and she began to look around.  
  
She found herself in a white, sterile smelling room. As she gradually came to, she could feel her body on a table of some sorts, not to comfortable, but not a hard cold slab. She could feel the sheet on top of her as well. She looked over, and saw a man, at least her mind told her it was a man, and she tried to smile a bit, opening her mouth, her mind quickly forming words to fill the void, even if they sounded out of place.  
  
"Don't try and talk yet young lady." Said the man, she nodded back.  
  
"I am a Doctor here, and was told to check you over. I have completed the majority of it, but I have a few more things, alright?" He said, and she nodded again.  
  
The Doctor proceeded to check her eyes, her co-ordination, her grip, her reflexes, all the things you can't really do well on a sleeping person. All the time softly talking, filling her with words and in a way, social niceties and grammar. Things not in her, even though she had the vast majority of the words she would ever need already in her head. She found herself nodding, and feeling odd. The words sounded familiar, the way they were said familiar, yet it was like she was hearing them all for the first time. When the doctor finished, he sat back down and told her she could sit up. She nodded, and placing a hand on the sheet, pulled herself up, noting that the doctor was watching her d o this, both from a professional standpoint, see if she could, and from the point of watching her and her body, seeing her light blue, still water damp hair fall about her, and watching her chest beneath the sheet as she rose. She noted the last bit, and felt a odd mix of uneasiness, yet at the some time something else, something....exciting and warm. She also noticed the personal looks were very fast glances, as if he was trying hard not to it.  
  
"Very good. Now than young lady, I have but one more question to ask you, then I will leave you to get dressed. When your done, go through that door on the far wall and we'll get you settled in. The question is, tell me about yourself." The doctor said, and leaned back, this was the killer test, to see what exactly Gendo had put into her mind.  
  
"Well. My name is...is Natima. 14 years old I think is my age, Sign I am is...is....I don't know. I think I've had schooling, with average marks. I like green as a color. I prefer to wear my hair in a ponytail, enjoy reading and exercising, and that's all I can remember Sir." She said, her expression going from pained to relaxed, the first words coming hard, but gradually becoming easier. She finished up with an attempt at a smile, which the Doctor returned.  
  
"Very good Natima. I'll leave now, and you can put a gown on, and then join me in my office.  
  
The doctor stood, and retrieved a gown, setting it on the bed. He bowed, and turned to walk away. Before he even got to his door, he could hear her hop off the tale, and drop the sheet. He smiled. Gendo had done quite a bit, but perhaps not enough. She would need a bit of refinement to pass in normal society, but then again, Burmese surmised Gendo had never intended her to join the real world. He thought some more as he closed the door, leaving Natima to dress herself, and then join him. This would be a most interesting case file.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.........  
  
  
There you go, the first chapter of my new fanfiction. I know some will hate it, and those who are form the MUCKS I use this char may remember her, and read with a bit of interest. As normal feel free to email me with comments or criticisms. I don't write better without feedback. Until next time  
  
Izcer4  
Izcer4@rocketmail.com 


	2. The Proto Child Chronicles, Chapter 2

Ok, hello, and yes, unfortunatly, I still live. Here is the second  
installment of the Proto Child Chronicles. I do appologize for the  
extreme span between the parts, life is funny that way. As usual,  
criticism is accepted and appreciated, flames are sent to the depths  
of Valhalla for all time.  
  
Evangelion, Neon Genesis Evangelion and the characters therin  
are copyrighted by GAinax and others with big powerful legal  
departments. Original characters are copyrighted by me.  
  
This fanfic may deal with matters of a mature nature. You have been  
warned  
  
  
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Proto-Child Chronicles.  
Chapter 2- She lives, but what is she?  
by Izcer4  
  
Natima waited till the man left, and proceeded to look around  
the room. Her mind told her what some of the things were, a table, a  
chair, a shelf. But she had a nagging feeling this was the first time  
she had ever seen them. Carefully, she let herself down from the bed,  
resting her feet on the floor, and feeling her weight sink into them.  
She carefully tried moving, getting used to her center of gravity, and  
all the sensations she was feeling. After nearly falling over twice,  
she gradually started to get the hang of walking, and walked around  
the room. Stopping by a large poster on the wall, she tried to focus  
her eyes on the many small lines. Her head started to throb a bit, but  
the lines slowly became words, her mind said, and she started going  
through learning to recognize them. This is odd she thought. If I am  
14 I should be able to do this, let alone be able to speak, why does  
it feel like everything is a first time experience for me.  
  
She walked back to the bed she had been on, and slowly took  
the sheet that was still wrapped around her off. She cautiously looked  
at her hands, then tilted her head down, looking at her own chest.  
She felt a bit odd, and if there were a mirror, she would see she was  
blushing. She ran her hands over her body, inspecting it, and reveling  
in how it felt, both to her fingers and her mind. She reached back,  
and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it's length forward so  
she could see it. She instantly fell in love with it's beautiful shade  
of blue, and it's texture and fineness. She tossed it back over her  
shoulder, and picked up the gown the man had left for her.  
  
After turning it over a few times to try and figure it out,  
she put an arm in one hole, and slung it around her back, and put her  
other arm in the other hole. She tried to close the front, but her  
chest was too big. Several variations on the procedure later, she was  
feeling a tad miffed. She thought for a second, and walked over to  
where she had seen the man get the gown from, and opened the drawer.  
There inside were more of these things, and she pulled one out,  
smiling to herself. Putting one of them on from the front, to cover  
her chest and front, and one from the back, and then pulling her hair  
from underneath, she was now decent. Covered and ready to go meet the  
doctor. She walked towards the door she was supposed to, pausing  
momentarily to look at the large dark piece of glass next to the door,  
and a small device mounted from the ceiling. She shrugged, and walked  
out the door.  
  
The doctor smiled as he returned to his desk. He had been  
watching her from behind the one way glass, as well as on the monitor.  
Mainly from a intellectual point of view, but he had to try hard not  
to stare while she was trying to get the gown on. He knew Gendo would  
have been watching the camera feed as well, but could not guess what  
he would be looking for. Burmese however, had now a better idea of  
what this young lady was capable of. High IQ, excellent learning  
curve, and apparently a stubborn will and desire to not be defeated.  
It would be interesting to see how much of that was Gendo's doing, and  
what was the doing of Bengal. He opened Natima's file on his desk, and  
went over it again, just so could be sure to use the right lie about  
her past, which he had a good idea she would ask. He was going over  
some of the other forms, when Natima entered from the exam room, and  
sat in the chair by his desk.  
  
"Ahh Natima, you've arrived. And faster than I expected too.  
Always a plus when the patient outperforms what the doctor expected."  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
"Please, please, just call me Doctor."  
  
"Ok Doctor." Natima said, with a slight look of apprehension  
on her face.  
  
"Your expression says you have a concern, what is it?"  
  
"Not sure, I'm almost certain I am 14, but...."  
  
"But what?"  
  
"But, it seems everything is new, I mean new new, like it's  
the first time I've ever done this, felt that, everything feels like  
it's brand new."  
  
"Well there is a reason for that."  
  
"There is?" Natima asked, her interest piqued.  
  
"Yes. You seem for the last 9 months, you have been in a  
comatose state due to a rather nasty injury you sustained. Somewhere  
in that period, some of your memories may have suffered degradation,  
and some speech and recognition difficulties are normal for such  
things."  
  
"I was comatose?"  
  
"Yes. We don't know all the details."  
  
"Why not? Can't my parents tell you?"  
  
"That's part of the problem Natima."  
  
"What do you mean."  
  
"You don't have any parents."  
  
"That's a good one" She laughed, "Everyone has to have  
parents."  
  
"From the birth standpoint yes, but you were an orphan  
Natima."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"An orphan. We don't know who your parents are, or were. They  
left you with an orphanage when you were just learning to walk. For  
some reason you were never adopted, and spent most of your childhood  
in the orphanage. Your educational prowess however caught our  
attention very early, and we more or less kept an eye on you. After  
the accident, the orphanage decided if you didn't come out, they would  
authorize to discontinue life support. Rather than see one of your  
potential leave this world, we transferred you here, and cared for  
you."  
  
"That...that doesn't sound right..." Natima stammered, a welling  
up of something in her chest, she could feel it, and she was trying to  
keep it down.  
  
"I'm afraid it is, my dear. Trust me, we have tried to find  
your parents, and the orphanage now will not take you back. We are  
prepared though to give you a new chance at life here with us."  
  
"And...and who is 'us'?"  
  
"The name of the organization is NERV. For now, that all you  
need to know. You are safe here, and at least for the next few days,  
will be allowed to think things over and make a decision on what you  
want to do. A nurse will be down shortly to show you to your rooms. I  
hope you decide to stay with us."  
  
Natima just nodded, looking dumbfounded. More questions  
popping into her mind than she could possibly hope to answer. More  
welling up of something deep inside her, trying to push it's way out.  
She never even noticed the nurse enter, or talk to the doctor for a  
moment. She never even noticed the Nurse pulling her to her feet, and  
leading her out, never saw the woman's' obvious contempt for her  
figure, the tight grip on her wrist as she was led down long white  
halls and escalators. When she finally refocused, she was in a room,  
with the door behind her closed. She merely sank to the floor, pulling  
her knees to her torso, and began to cry.  
  
Meanwhile, the doctor had called Gendo, and sent his report,  
which he could surmise Gendo was quite pleased overall, but something  
wasn't right, or so Burmese detected. Burmese retired for the day to  
his apartment, and began to draw up his report for the council, now  
able to look at the young woman's data he had snuck a copy of in the  
privacy of his home. While the analyzer ran, he made himself dinner,  
and performed his usual sweep of the place for bugs, or other presents  
from Gendo's group. He returned to the computer, and looked over the  
data, and smiled. Oh yes, the council would forgive the tardiness of  
the report for this. This was indeed a find. He thought about it, and  
pulled out the last belongings of Bengal which he had to send to the  
council, and looked through them. Countless notebooks, with what  
appeared to be cryptic writing, but was plain as English. Notes upon  
notes about his findings, his laments, his tortured soul.  
  
Burmese scoffed at some of the things in the notebooks. Bengal  
certainly had a hang-up over his late daughter, and a small part of  
Burmese understood, but he always hid that part well. In going through  
the notepads, and using them to further enhance his own report, he  
stumbled across a small diary, and read it, even though his conscience  
told him not to. He paused at the last page, where he read that Bengal  
could sense his impending doom, as well as a note which simply said  
-Burmese, I know you will read this, so make sure you read it all- and  
that was the last thing in the book. He was intrigued, had Bengal  
known he was watching him, and if so, how would it affect his own  
standing. He looked through all the rest of the books, and digging  
into the very depths of the bag of stuff, found a small holo recorder,  
and a notebook titled 'For My Fine Friend the Tiger'. Burmese paused,  
and took the book to his room. The running joke among the council's  
operatives was his nickname, of the toothless tiger. Therefore the  
notebook was addressed to him. The holo recorder was locked, and he  
had a good idea who could access it. He sent his preliminary report  
off to the council, and retired for the evening, opening the notebook  
addressed to him, reading with a piqued interest he hadn't had in  
decades.  
  
"What excuse does Burmese give for the tardiness of his  
report?"  
  
"Yes, this is worrying. If Gendo has discovered him, we are  
all in trouble."  
  
"Gentlemen. Burmese has sent his preliminary report, and  
apologizes for the delay. He sites significant discoveries will delay  
the bulk of the report, as well as the simple fact he has to sort  
through all of Bengal's notes."  
  
"Why must he do that?"  
  
"Because, Bengal is dead." The head of the council said.  
  
"Dead, that is not possible."  
  
"It is possible and it is true. Bengal is gone, and Burmese is  
going through his notes and things to give us a better idea of what  
happened. Please compose yourselves until it is deemed not needed to  
do so."  
  
"What if Gendo has acquired some of the pads?"  
  
"Gendo is unable to read the language used by our agents, that  
is intentional. The findings of Bengal are secure, and we will merely  
wait for Burmese to report on what he has found."  
  
"I pray you have not made a mistake number one."  
  
And the points of light winked out.  
  
  
Gendo was mulling things over. He had done it. He now had his  
own doll to play with, and the data to come from that was immense. He  
had hated the Doctor for a few of his orders, ones not even he could  
countermand. He would be content, if only through self discipline, to  
wait the few days the Doctor had ordered so his new creation could  
adjust to her being alive. He had watched the video feed with a great  
deal of interest. Her intelligence was apparent, good. Her body was  
perfect, and nothing more could be said there. Her limited display of  
resourcefulness would suit one of her future needs quite well. The  
only thing that didn't sit well was her eyes. They weren't supposed to  
be red, but if that was the only error, he could live with it. He  
smiled, and replayed the tape of her exam and interview, planning what  
to do with his newfound toy.  
  
Natima sniffled, and wiped her tears off her face again. She  
had been crying now for god only knew how long, and she could feel  
some discomfort in her body from lack of movement. She slowly stood,  
and looked around the main room. It was fairly good sized, with a  
rather large bookshelf, lined with books of many sizes. A few nice  
looking chairs, and a large, overstuffed couch sitting opposite a  
cabinet which had electronics in it. Two doorways opened off this  
room, and Natima went through one of them. She found herself in a room  
with hard floors, and brightly lit, the kitchenette her mind told her.  
A small table with 2 chairs, and an area for food prep. A different  
opening led to a hallway, which led back to the larger room, and down  
the other way. She followed it down, and opened the door at the end of  
the hallway.  
  
To her one side, sat a washroom, with a sink, lavatory, and a shower  
tub combination. To her other side was the bedroom. She slowly walked  
in and sat in the bed. It was large enough for 2 people easily, and  
quite soft. Awfully big for just one person, she thought. Is this how  
they treat all their people, she wondered.. Across from the end of the  
bed was a low dresser, and a mirror attached. She saw herself for the  
first time. She spent some time looking at herself, then noticed a  
small welcome back note on top of the dresser. She opened the drawers,  
and looked at the contents. She pulled out something that seemed odd,  
holding it up. It was fabric, with what looked like a pair of curved  
sewn wires in it. It was long, and tapered from the end points, which  
had small clip eyes and hooks, to a set of large looking, smooth  
fabric, semi-circular areas in the middle. Attached to the top of  
these sections was an elastic piece that attached to the narrow end a  
bit away from it. Natima just looked puzzled by it for a moment, and  
set it back down. She wandered about the room,. A small table sat on  
either side of the head end of the bed, and the closet was filled with  
an array of clothing articles, some of which she could guess at, some  
of which baffled her for the moment. She sighed, and though, since she  
wasn't tired really, that maybe she could change, and explore a bit.  
  
She sat back down at the edge of the bed, and removed both of the  
gowns she had on. Once done, she happened to glance at the mirror, and  
she gasped, now able to see exactly what her body looked like. She  
felt a mixed feeling of love and puzzlement, along with a warm  
feeling, coming from someplace, but where she couldn't tell. She  
re-opened the drawers on the dressers, and withdrew luckily, a pair of  
panties. After a small bit of guesswork as to where they went,  
including trying to get her arms through them, thus ruining one pair,  
she managed to slip into a pair, noting how they felt going on, and  
noting their construction. She felt a bit better, now that something  
she felt that should be covered was. She glanced at the piece of  
clothing that had baffled her earlier, and frowned, picking a loose  
fitting shirt, and a pair of sweat pants out of the drawer, and  
sliding into them, once more pulling her hair free from the shirt once  
it was on. She looked at herself in the mirror, and even smiled a bit,  
and went back out to see what she could see. She went to the main  
door, and tried to open it, but it was locked.  
  
After messing with it a bit trying to get it to open, she gave up, and  
turned around, slowly going to the bookshelf. She struggled a bit, but  
managed to read some of the book titles that were at her disposal. She  
picked out a few, from a easy looking book to something with some  
challenge to it, and took them over near the couch. She turned on a  
reading lamp, and let herself flop into one of the corners, making  
herself comfortable. She wriggled into a good spot, pulling her legs  
up a bit, and grabbed what was a reading primer. She pulled her light  
blue hair over her shoulder, and opened the book, and began to read.  
Not knowing, she had begun to teach herself, as she was designed to,  
to learn and read, with an almost unquenchable thirst for knowledge.  
She quickly read the primer, and re-read it. She picked up the next  
book, a little more advanced than the last, and began to read it. Book  
after book, she easily finished 10 books in 2 hours. She got another  
stack, this time educational reference books, including ones on  
anatomy, and a fairly large one on women in general, and curled up in  
the couch again, a sort of contentment passing over her as she read  
and learned. She read and read, eventually falling asleep, curled in  
the corner of the couch.  
  
She woke, and turned. She was covered by a large fuzzy  
blanket, and was no longer in the main room. She sat up in the bed,  
and noted this, as well as her state of dress, mainly almost none, the  
shirt and pants she had on sitting in the hamper near the bath. She  
furrowed her brow, but slowly got up, headed for the bath. After a  
long warm shower, which felt heavenly as far as she was concerned, she  
felt something churn and growl, and placed her hand on her stomach.  
She did feel hungry, and went to the drawers to find something to  
wear. She slid into a clean pair of panties, as she know knew what  
they were, and pulled out on of the things that had perplexed her  
yesterday. Recalling what she had read, she looped it around her back,  
and fastened the clasps, then rotated it around, snugging it up under  
her bust line, she lifted the rounded fabric sections, and bent  
forward slightly, letting her chest fill them out, then slid her arms  
under the straps, and slid them onto her shoulders. Se looked at  
herself in the mirror, smiling at her success the first time, her  
chest was supported by this thing, a bra if she remembered it's name  
correctly, and it almost felt like she was supposed to wear one. She  
finished dressing, and after putting her hair into something called a  
ponytail, headed out of the room into the kitchenette.  
  
She entered the kitchenette, noting how brightly lit it was.  
She looked around, and saw the time on the clock on the stove, and a  
few books next to it. She opened one, and turned to the tab marked  
breakfast. She leaned onto the counter, turning pages in the book,  
settling on one of the items in the book, and she began. She looked  
carefully throughout the entire kitchen, finding each thing the book  
called for. She looked at what she had laid out, some bread, eggs,  
sugar, vanilla, milk and a bowl and a large flat thing called a  
griddle. She had even found an apron in a drawer and had put it on,  
mainly so she wouldn't get her clothes dirty. She went about following  
the directions in the book exactly, noting how the smell of the food  
was making her hungrier. She also failed to notice the doctor enter  
the quarters, and lean against the door to the kitchenette, watching  
her cook. He smiled as he watched her, noting how quickly she was  
picking things up.  
  
"That certainly smells good there." He said as she leaned up  
and finally saw him, almost jumping out of her skin in the process.  
  
"Ah...oh thanks, how did you get in? I tried the door and it  
wouldn't open for me."  
  
"I'll look into that, must have accidentally set it for  
external lock only."  
  
"Ok. By the way, what's going on around here?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well I woke up in a different room than I went to sleep in,  
and in a different state of dress for one."  
  
"Hmm, I'll check. I know there is a nurse assigned to check on  
you every 12 hours, maybe she moved you."  
  
"And I still want to know why everything feels so new, yet so  
familiar...why it's like I'm learning all over again, and why I have  
such a large amount of reference books in this set of rooms." Nat  
said, then eeped, rushing to try and not burn the food.  
  
"Well lets see. I'm not sure on most of those, and as far as  
the rooms, you'll have to take it up with the boss. I'm just a medical  
doctor, not the quartermaster."  
  
"The quarter who?"  
  
"Sorry, military term for supply person."  
  
"Military? Please don't tell me I'm in a military base."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well....I dunno, it just felt like I should say it. Odd"   
  
Nat finished cooking, and sat at the table, motioning the  
doctor to join her, something called manners in one of those books she  
had read. She took a mouth full of food, and almost cried it felt so  
good. She chewed and swallowed, and decorum be dammed, devoured the  
rest, getting only a single smirk from the doctor.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing, just I can understand your appetite. After all you  
have been on an IV for some time."  
  
"I guess so. What brings you down here anyway?"  
  
"Well, since your up and around, and apparently a bit more  
acclimated to life again, I was going to give you the tour of the  
place you are in." The doctor said, sliding a ID card across the  
table.  
  
"A tour? Why?"  
  
"Well you do need to decide what you are going to do, and it  
can't be much fun having been cooped up in here for 3 days, so I  
thought I would let you out and about a bit."  
  
"3 Days?"  
  
"Yes...time flies when your having fun."  
  
"Whatever. Just let me get some shoes on, alright?"  
  
"Fine, take your time, there's no rush."  
  
Nat nodded and cleaned the table, and went back to the  
bedroom. She found some shoes, and managed to get them on, thankful  
they were velcro closures. She returned to the doctor and they left.  
She was guided around the complex, a Geofront as she found out later,  
by the doctor. Many rooms and areas pointed out, many people met. Nat  
nodded and smiled, soaking it all up, finding the names and faces of  
each person she met easily remembered. She noticed the monitoring  
cameras and everything as she walked. She occasionally turned her  
head, feeling something, something she couldn't name or place, calling  
out to her. She would look, furrow her brow and continue on her way.  
The doctor noted this as well, knowing what was in the direction his  
young charge was looking. After a few hours they returned to her room,  
and parted ways, Natima settling in for a nap on her couch, and the  
doctor back to his office, where Gendo was waiting patiently.  
  
"How is she adjusting Doctor.?"  
  
"She is doing fine Sir." Is all he replied.  
  
"I expect your report soon on her progress. She is very  
important to the project, and we will need her soon." Gendo said and  
left.  
  
More like you need her, you lech, thought the doctor. He  
settled down, and completed his report to Gendo, and sat thinking. Six  
times her attention was drawn away. Once or twice would have been  
normal, but 6 was intriguing. Each time her gaze was drawn to  
something she should have had no knowledge of. Twice was the bays  
where they were building rather large things no one could accurately  
describe. The other times her gaze was pointed right at Central Dogma.  
That she was drawn to it, or at least her gaze, was a bit of a shock.  
She supposedly had no knowledge of herself, or her past. It made him  
all the more curious as to what Bengal had done to this fine young  
lady. He sighed, and packed up his things, it was time to head home,  
and present his report to the council. This would prove most  
interesting to them.  
  
  
"This is absurd!"  
  
"It is beyond all reason to accept this report as true"  
  
"I agree, Burmese has overstepped his bounds, and it now is  
apparent that Bengal did as well, and you knew and let them. Explain  
yourself."  
  
"Gentlemen. I need not explain nor justify my decisions to  
you. You are all aware of my position, and we each share the same  
curse in life. Burmese has presented his report, and his  
recommendations."  
  
"They are absurd. Yes, we know now that Ikari was out to  
deceive us, and exactly how he was to do so. What we don't know is  
exactly what happened to Bengal, or what he did to the test subject  
Ikari was making."  
  
"Bengal is dead."  
  
"That is impossible."  
  
"No, the side report indicates the first batch of LCL, which  
is used in the Dogma terminal was found outside the tube, having  
leaked from a fracture caused by a bullet."  
  
"Which means nothing, Ikari shot Bengal there, nothing more."  
  
"LCL is not water you insolent whelp. Even we cannot command  
it, and it would allow one of us to pass on."  
  
"Then what of the test subject?"  
  
"As yet, Ikari has no inkling of the alterations made to his  
sequence. We will have to wait and see what he does when he does find  
out. Till then, Burmese has been instructed to maintain his watch, and  
report. He is also sending Bengal's personal to us, so we may look  
them over."  
  
"Burn them, that is the only thing left to do."  
  
"I will be the judge of that. He risked his life to do  
something, and I want to know what it was."  
  
"Number 1, I believe you are losing touch with our aims."  
  
"And you are near to losing more than that. Hold your tongue,  
lest I remove it. Dismissed."  
  
The points winked out, save Number 1, who opened a vid link to  
someone.  
  
"Yes, that's correct, continue. Interesting. Step it to level  
4 and report back."  
  
And the screen and the point winked out into nothingness.  
  
  
Burmese laid down the journal he was reading. It offered much  
insight into his departed friend, and just what he had discovered, and  
what he had hoped to accomplish with the package he had managed  
apparently to smuggle into the Dogma sequencer terminal. It would be  
only a matter of time before it manifested itself, and he had to know.  
He would test it himself, for if it was real, the one who found it  
first would reign, the others would not. He sighed, his mind slowly  
wandering. An innocent person, caught up in all this. He prayed she  
never found out her real origins, or her real power. He turned off his  
light, and laid down for a restless night of sleep, pondering his  
course of action, and what to do with the results.  
  
Elsewhere, Gendo was still awake. He had waited the needed  
days, and once the doctor finished his final checkup, his doll would  
be his. Oh the plans he had, both professional and otherwise. It would  
be a trophy to his vision, to his beliefs, to his plan. The simulator  
was almost done, and enough of the fluid had been produced to enable  
an almost routine testing schedule. Doctor Akagi, the mother, was  
nearing completion of her work, and thus her usefulness, and the plans  
for her removal had been set in motion. He had already devised how to  
twist her daughter to his own whim, and make her as blind to the truth  
as her mother. The two of them were mirror copies of each other,  
which of course made it easier to manipulate them. He had received his  
tentative command staff listing, including a brilliant young Computer  
tech, and the daughter of one of the original Antarctic Expedition  
force. Yes, things were coming together nicely, and soon he would  
control it all.  
  
  
Natima awoke the next morning early, and went through the  
normal motions. Cleaning, dressing, eating, and settling into her  
large couch with a big book to read. She just couldn't get enough, she  
wanted to know more. About noon, she got a request to come to the  
medical wing, and she carefully set down her book, leaving a place  
marker in it, and picked up her pass, still a temporary one, but it  
worked, and left her rooms, heading straight for the med wing. Along  
the way, she felt those strange sensations coming from somewhere,  
glancing around occasionally, as she walked, and also tried to ignore  
the odd stares she was getting from the other people, mainly men, as  
she walked down the halls. She finally reached the Medical wing, and  
signed in, going to the Doctor's waiting room until she was called  
for. The doctor came and got her and they went into his office, where  
he had already bypassed the monitors with old footage doctored so he  
could be safe with the patient. He went over her last tests, and asked  
her a few new questions.  
  
Natima failed to really see the point of this. She answered as  
best she could, feeling a bit edgy for some reason. The doctor had a  
few glasses on his desk, only one he was drinking from though. The  
others had a yellowish looking liquid in them, and were oddly enough  
placed closer to where Natima was sitting than where the Doctor was.  
The doctor asked her to look at something, and she leaned forward to  
take it as he handed it to her. She never expected him to hand it to  
her, and spill one of the glasses on her bare arm, since she was  
wearing a tee. She never expected this however. The fluid was warm on  
her arm, and that was about all she could remember. Her sight started  
going dark, she couldn't feel her body. Had the doctor poisoned her?  
What was happening, she couldn't feel anything, her mind was shutting  
down, she couldn't breathe, think, move, speak, or do anything. She  
tried to scream loudly as what she knew as life ended abruptly.  
  
The doctor prayed for forgiveness as he spilled the fluid on  
Natima's arm. It was LCL he had 'borrowed' from the lab. He watched as  
her body went completely limp, her eyes glazing over, her breathes  
growing long slow and measured as she almost toppled out of her chair.  
He got up, and picked her up, finally noting how truly light she was,  
and placed her on a couch, pulling out a tub of the fluid, resting her  
one hand and wrist in it. She sat there, looking like a doll, quite  
literally, eyes hardly ever blinking, face lax and expressionless. The  
Doctor shuddered to think what was going on mentally. After a few  
moments, he got the courage to speak.  
  
"Are you there Natima?" He asked easily.  
  
"The self known as Natima resides in this body, but is not at the  
surface." Came a very dull, lifeless, monotone voice, devoid of  
anything resembling life.  
  
"Then who are you?"  
  
"I have no name, I am the inner self that seeks to protect the  
outer self."  
  
"Do you know what you are?"  
  
"This body is a genetic construct."  
  
"You know that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you know why it was made?"  
  
"Only some of why it was made."  
  
"Tell me what you know."  
  
"This body was created for personal pleasure, and for the use  
against it's brethren. It contains a mix of Human DNA from no less  
than 500 source subjects, and DNA from a non human source."  
  
"Do you know what the name is of the subjects, or of the body  
you are?"  
  
"The most prevalent source for the Human DNA is Yui Ikari. The  
source of the other DNA is meaningless. The non-human DNA is referred  
to by SEELE council as ANGEL."  
  
"What do you know of SEELE?"  
  
"It is a group of individuals with near god like power over  
the fate of the human race. Current projects include the hastening of  
the recreation of the world."  
  
"What can I call you?"  
  
"You can call me whatever you want, a label for this existence  
is unimportant."  
  
"Yet you would respond to Natima?"  
  
"This body will respond to that name for the purpose of  
concealing the truth. The self known as Natima cannot control this  
self, and cannot be allowed to do so."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"This self..." The monotone voice paused.  
  
"Yes?" The doctor pressed, this was disturbing, and yet  
exciting.  
  
"This self exists to protect the Natima self from all harm."  
  
"So you can feel things?"  
  
"Physical sensation yes. Emotions are useless and have no  
meaning."  
  
"How do you protect the other self?"  
  
"The other self will never have any memory of LCL submersion.  
All tasks and orders given while in that state will carried out by  
this self, so the other self may remain pure."  
  
"But would that not make the other self impure, and more  
likely to be used in harmful ways?"  
  
"It is outside my current ability to resolve that question."  
  
"Do you know what this place is?"  
  
"This place is the underground Geofront designated by the  
council to house NERV, and the items of Project Evangelion."  
  
"Then you know what is here?"  
  
"Yes. 2 of this self's brethren are contained here, as is  
Lilith."  
  
"Yet you keep this from the other self?"  
  
"It is for her protection."  
  
"And if I said she hears the voices as well?"  
  
"I protect as much as I can. Some minimal bleed over is  
possible when this self is not in primary command."  
  
"What is the amount of LCL needed to bring you out?"  
  
"This was first emergence, so the level is now settable by the  
overseer."  
  
"And who is the overseer?"  
  
"It is the one who first brings this self out."  
  
"Oh. Can I define the level for you?"  
  
"You may."  
  
"If I do, can I change it later?"  
  
"Yes. Only you can alter the level needed."  
  
"Very well," The doctor thought for a moment, "Then the level  
needed will be a tactile extremity submerged more than 2 percent. By  
contact only. Damp clothing, will not count, nor will soaked hair. Is  
this acceptable?"  
  
"It is set."  
  
"Do you know why the restrictions?"  
  
"Restrictions most likely in place so after any given test,  
other self may remain even if residual LCL is present in garments or  
in hair, while not triggering a change to protect the safety of the  
body and both selves as a whole."  
  
"Very good. You are a testament to your creation."  
  
"Gratification is not needed." Came the reply, but a smile,  
very slight smile tugged at her lips for a brief moment.  
  
"Can you tell me what Natima had for breakfast?"  
  
"Yes, although why do you need such frivolous information?"  
  
"Well you said she won't remember, so I need something to  
explain why she will have a," The doctor paused to look at the clock,  
and was shocked at the time, this had taken longer than he expected,  
"a gap in her memory for about 90 minutes."  
  
"I see. She had dry cereal with milk, and a glass of Citrus  
fruit juice."  
  
"Very well. I look forward to talking to you again sometime."  
The doctor said, removing her hand from the tub, hiding it, making  
several mental notes.  
  
Natima lay there, her eyes slowly re-focusing, her breathing  
returning to normal as she came around. Her mind was confused, it was  
opening back up, as if it was hiding behind a thick black curtain. Her  
head was throbbing a bit, but her body seemed there, none the worse  
for wear, except she was laying down now. She darted to a sitting  
position, and felt the uneasiness as the blood didn't keep up as  
quickly. She looked around, and just stared at the doctor, who was  
seated at his desk, writing something.  
  
"Well, welcome back to the land of the waking Natima."  
  
"Wha, what happened?"  
  
"Well it seems the juice you had this morning was bad, you  
fainted in my office. You've been out for about 90 minutes or so, you  
really should check the dates on that kind of stuff."  
  
"Bad juice?" She shook her head, it was like the last 90  
minutes or so just didn't exist.  
  
"A little disorientation is normal. It will pass."  
  
"Hai, I guess. Are we done?" She still felt odd, but it wasn't  
all that odd.  
  
"Yes, just be more cautious in the future, alright young  
lady?"  
  
Natima nodded, and left, the odd feeling she had slowly  
leaving as she got closer to her room. She entered, and saw she has  
messages waiting, but for some reason didn't listen to them. She put  
the big book back on it's shelf and went to her room. She flopped on  
the bed, and curled up under the covers, slipping quickly to sleep,  
very tired for some unexplained reason.  
  
  
"Commander?"  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Gendo asked, turning around to see the  
elder Akagi in his office.  
  
"I wish to ask you what is this 'subject' you plan of putting  
into the simulator. We have no pilots, and the cross feed is not ready  
yet."  
  
"It is not your concern. I have a subject we can use for  
testing the basic feedback system in place, unless you would rather  
have to re-design the entire system once it's completed and only then  
we find a problem."  
  
"Very well."  
  
"Is that all doctor?" Gendo asked.  
  
"Well..." Akagi paused.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I missed you.." She said, coming around the desk, wrapping  
her arms around him "You seem so distant now, even though we have  
no-one to hide from."  
  
"Sorry, I had many things to catch up on." Gendo said in mock  
concern, lightly brushing the woman's arm with his hand, listening to  
her mmmm happily behind him, such an easy creature to manipulate.  
  
"Well be sure to come down and see me, I get so lonely." She  
said, gently kissing his cheek.  
  
"I will." He replied, chuckling inside at her fate, which he  
knew, and she would know soon as well.  
  
She left, looking back at him coyly as she closed the door to  
his office. He mock smiled back, and then turned around again. How  
easy she was to bend. It was a simple game, one he grew tired of. Soon  
though, it would be over, and a new game started, this time, with  
Ritsuko Akagi being the piece on the board. He looked forward to  
seeing his creation tomorrow, she would be a welcome respite to having  
to deal with the others, a toy for his amusement. The doctor had  
cleared her for duty, and he had sent a message to her quarters. His  
mind piqued with the possibilities.  
  
  
To be continued.....  
  
  
Ok, there you go, enjoy, as I enjoy writing it.  
  
-Izcer4 


	3. The Proto Child Chronicles, Chapter 3

Run and hide, or heckle with glee, for once more I have taken fingers to keys, and attempted to write tangible ideas into somethign resembling a story. I know it's been some time since I updated, and I hope (again) to improve, and add more to my fics in regualar intervals. Hopefully I haven't lost anyone yet with my rantings. As per the norm, comments welcome, flames laughed at and discarded.  
  
WARNING!!! This story contain a breif spot of violence, themes of premeditated sensuality, and a bit innuendo  
  
  
The characters used in this fic are owned byt thier respective owners. All characters and events of Neon Genesis Evangelion are owned by Gainax and not me. My characters are mine.  
  
This is a work of Fanfiction, and should be treated as such.  
  
  
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Proto Child Chronicles  
Chapter 3: Looks can hurt, but touching can hurt more  
by Izcer4 (Izcer4@rocketmail.com)  
  
  
"Now then gentlemen. Since we are all here now, let us begin. Burmese, your report please."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Burmese brought out a small holo projector and turned it on, as a rotating image of Natima glowed eerily in the council chamber.  
  
"The subjects name is Imanaya Natima. A most interesting subject, obviously much was put into her development."  
  
A collective groups of gasps paused around the room as the men looked as the hologram before them.  
  
"I see, a rather well built young lady." Number one said.  
  
"Yes. It appears she was made, and accelerated to physical age or 14, except for a few areas, which received special augmentation and modifications."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Her bust line is larger than it should be, along with tighter back muscles, and she is completely sterile, among others."  
  
"Odd."  
  
"No. I surmise Gendo made her primarily as a possible pilot officially, but as a sideline, intended her to be his personal plaything."  
  
"Hmm, not a bad form to have for that."  
  
"Continue Burmese" Number one said, shooting a glare at the idiot making comments.  
  
"Yes. Her external form is for all intents perfect. No abnormalities of any kind exist. Only her eyes do not fit a normal pattern, as they are blood red. I believe this, and her somewhat odd, but not inexplicable hair color, are the direct physical manifestations of the Angel section of her makeup. Analysis shows she is roughly half angel, and half human derived, with the majority of the human side coming from Ikari's dead wife. The most significant other part of the human side appears to be from Bengal's daughter."  
  
"You let him have his daughter's disk!"  
  
"Quiet. Let Burmese continue."  
  
"No, this is an outrage. That disk was our only means of controlling him. You surrendered the only thing keeping him in line with our goals."  
  
"BE SILENT OR BE KILLED" Number one said sternly. "I am aware of what I did, and it was my choice. Now let the doctor continue."  
  
"All effects of Bengal have been forwarded to the council. It appears he knew exactly what was intended, and even could sense his own impending doom. The disk was vaporized, and as of yet, Ikari has no idea of the alterations made. It should be noted, though, the subject is by no means your average girl."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"She possesses a startling intellect. In the five days she has existed, she has read no less than three complete encyclopedias, and this is in addition to teaching herself to read, and covering the basics of human anatomy, and subjects dealing with her gender and proper care and manners for it, as well as basic home skills. She appears to have near perfect memory recall, and a learning curve akin to a cliff. She has a will to succeed, and a desire to be self sufficient."  
  
"Aspects of Bengal's daughter. What about control, where does it lie?"  
  
"That is the truly amazing part. She is more or less bipolar in that regard."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"While we and everyone sees one side of her, a rather strong willed independent young woman, there exists within her mind a separate entity. An inner self as it were, and by it's own admission, exists to protect the outer self we see from all harm and things it deems harmful to it's continued existence and emotional and mental well being."  
  
"And this inner person, how do you get at it?"  
  
"LCL emersion. Currently it is set for direct contact. I brought it out myself to ascertain this aspect of her. While in LCL, the outer self has no control, and no recollections at all of anything which has occurred for the duration. The inner self, which appears free from the contamination of emotions, as it put it, controls all aspects of the body and it's actions while in this state. The inner self knows it is a genetic construct, a hybrid, a half angel, and is aware of the existence of the 2 units under construction and the presence of Lilith in the Geofront."  
  
"But where is control?"  
  
"The inner self is dedicated to protecting the outer self, and understands SEELE as the final authority in the project. Currently, it sees me as it's overseer, but I may alter that, and will at the soonest possibility to allow for council control and privileges."  
  
"Your recommendations?"  
  
"We wait and see. See what Gendo will do when he finds out, and see what happens. This presents a unique opportunity to basically have in inside person for the council, while the person has no idea they are such, thus we may be able to get a pure unbiased look at what is going on."  
  
"Very well. This meeting is done. Burmese, please remain."  
  
The points of light all winked out, save number one and Burmese.  
  
"Burmese, did you hold anything back?"  
  
"Only a few things sir. Gendo made her to be his toy. I don't know how she will react since her body is setup to be extremely responsive to certain stimulation, and a good portion of her psyche may be influenced by the volume of submissiveness he tried to instill in her. It may be a mental tug of war for her, but one she may not be able to avoid. Also, I am unhappy to report to you sir, that my own feelings may begin to impede on this. She is a very special individual, despite all she is inside and out. I am trying to remain objective, but it's just something that feels like it's nagging at my mind, to try and aide Bengal's wishes for her."  
  
"And you thoughts on Bengal's actions?"  
  
"I can understand why he did it, although I cannot agree with it. He believed he was giving his daughter a second chance, and he also knew there was SEELE code on the disc, but didn't care. He did truly follow the council's dictate at all times. He sent a holo unit to you, and I believe it is locked to your ID. He was a smart person, and even knew I was watching him, a condition I shall attempt to remedy in the future."  
  
"I see. Thank you, you are dismissed. Please look after our newest charge here, things may drastically change for her shortly. I will see this holo when it arrives, and make further decisions based on it. I appreciate your frankness, it is a quality you and Bengal shared, and is why I can trust you so."  
  
"By your leave sir." And Burmese winked out.  
  
  
The next morning, Natima woke early, as was her normal, and went though what was becoming her normal morning ritual. After a little bit of exercise, a nice warm breakfast, and a shower, she got ready to face her day. Not that much comprised her days. Usually walking around the base, or seeing the Doctor. She did however get a request to meet the Commander this morning. She didn't know anything about him, other than his title. From what she could gather, he was the top of the line when it came to decisions, so she made an effort to try and look her best. Instead of a tee shirt and jeans, which she found most comfortable, she instead opted for a simple blouse and slacks, similar to what she had seen other women wear around the base in her travels. One last check on her map for where she was headed, and ID in hand, headed off for her appointment with the Commander.  
  
Making her way down the long empty hallway, she paused at the door. This Commander sure seemed odd, at the end of an empty hallway, set apart from what seemed all the other offices. She took a deep breath, and hit the announce on the panel. She said her name and her business, and the door slid open. She slowly walked in, and the door shut behind her. She looked across the office. Very dark, and blank looking. A single desk adorned the floor, and the rest was bare. A long series of windows sat opposite the door, which if she had looked back, was now locked. A man sat at the desk, his hands folded in front of his face, a pair of glasses reflecting back what little light was in the room, hiding his evil smirk behind his gloved hands.  
  
"Commander...sir. I received a summons to your office this morning." Natima said nervously.  
  
"Yes you did. Sit down." The Commander said, making a small curt notion to a lone chair across the desk from him.  
  
Natima made her way and tentatively sat down, feeling a chill from the chair itself, and she felt like this man was leering at her. An uncomfortable yet at the same time calming sensation.  
  
"What can I do for you Commander?" She asked politely.  
  
"I am Commander Ikari, supreme Commander of NERV and this facility."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Do you know why you are here?"  
  
"Here as in this place, or here as in the metaphysical sense sir?"  
  
"Both."  
  
"The Doctor tells me I was brought here after an accident, as for the other, I'm really not sure."  
  
Gendo got up and began to walk around the desk  
  
"You are partially correct. After your incident, we brought you here to see if you would compatible for our needs. And to this end we believe you are."  
  
Natima watched as he walked around her, explaining more about NERV, the base, and it's goals. The words didn't sit well with her, nor did the casual brushes this man made against her, part of her reeling at the bluntness, the other a bit more undefined in it's reaction.  
  
"You seem uncomfortable young lady."  
  
"I am not sir." Natima responded.  
  
Gendo held his hand out, and purposely brushed it across her breast. Natima shot up like a bullet, covering her chest rapidly, looking flustered and confused as Gendo calmly sat on his desk and looked at her.  
  
"Commander, that was inappropriate." She said, noting to herself her chest began to feel warm.  
  
"I don't think so. In fact, please remove your clothes."  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Natima scoffed, taken back by the bluntness of this man, yet something nagging at her.  
  
"I told you to take your clothes off."  
  
"I will do no such thing. This is harassment."  
  
"This is an order from your keeper."  
  
"I am not some kind of animal."  
  
Gendo was perplexed, she should have obeyed. He stood.  
  
"I gave you an order to remove your clothes, now be a good doll and do it." He said, roughly grabbing her arm.  
  
"Hey, that hurts, let go of me." Natima began to argue and fight back.  
  
"Then follow orders, and remove your clothes."  
  
"No. I am my own person."  
  
"You are a doll, and nothing more." Gendo barked, and slapped her hard across the face, sending her to the floor.  
  
"I..am...not...a...doll.." Natima said, slowly getting back up, anger building in her eyes.  
  
"You are" Gendo slapped her again on the other cheek.  
  
Natima was slower to get up this time. But she did get up, and Gendo grabbed her, and began to rip her shirt off. She screamed, and got slapped again for it. She took it, and tried to knee Gendo in the groin. He grunted, and gripped, beginning to shake her violently. She began to scream in hysterics. Gendo just kept on shaking and ordering her, she was his doll, his property, and she would understand. He never saw it coming. Something, she didn't know what, came from deep inside her, and as she screamed in defiance once more, a flash, and Gendo was plastered in a heap against the floor. Natima looked for a moment, and ran. She never looked back as the sirens began to wail.  
  
Natima bolted out the door, running through the halls crying, holding her arms over her ripped shirt. She just ran and ran, just following something inside her. She didn't know what happened, or why, or for that matter why the Commander told her to do those things. She finally wound up in front of her quarters, and burst in, right past the Doctor who was waiting for her there, into her bedroom, and dived onto the bed, crying a small lake into her pillow. She was, was well beside herself, she had such a rush of feelings, she didn't know where to begin. She was frightened, petrified, mortified, and confused. He had no right doing that, asking her to do that, expecting those things of her, yet, as much as she cried and protested, a small part of her wanted to listen. She just cried and cried, failing to notice as the Doctor came in, and looked her over, shaking his head as he pulled out a spare blanket, and covered her up, resting on the bed, gently running his fingers through her hair. Ignoring the repeated pages for his presence from the overhead.  
  
Some time later she gradually stopped crying, as her mind began to take stock of where she was. She knew she was in a bed, most likely hers, a quick glance down confirmed that. Her shirt was still torn, but someone had placed a blanket over her. She slowly turned over, and sat up, sniffling a bit. She had made it back to her room, and to her own bed. She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them as she sighed, looking to one side she saw the Doctor, sitting in a chair, reading a book. He looked up and smiled.  
  
"Hello Natima. You've had a busy morning. Would you care to talk about it?"  
  
Natima just shook her head.  
  
"Well from the state you came in here in, I'de venture a guess the Commander made a pass at you, one you didn't ask for. And given the chaos the base is in, you let him know it was unwelcome."  
  
Natima nodded a bit.  
  
He set the book down and sat on the bed, looking at her simply.  
  
"I think you made the right choice, for what my opinion is worth."  
  
Natima sniffled again, a very weak smile tugging at her lips as two security men barged into the room.  
  
"Doctor stand aside please."  
  
"What is the meaning of this?"  
  
"The Commander has ordered this person to be placed under arrest." The guard said, pulling his cuffs.  
  
"On what grounds?"  
  
"Assault."  
  
"Well forget, you are not going anywhere with my patient."  
  
"The Commander has given us simple orders Doctor." The guard said, although it was well known the Commander made passes at the women. Sometimes this job sucked.  
  
"And I am giving you simpler ones. This young woman was assaulted physically, and I am not turning her over to you so you can do the same."  
  
"The Commander.."  
  
"Isn't here. This woman, and the Commander are under my care. And if she kneed him in the groin for making a pass at him, I'm sure the rest of the women on base would agree with her actions. If you must place her under arrest, confine her to these quarters. However, if you think you are walking out of here with her, expect to be in my office for fitness evaluations and medical study duty."  
  
"And the Commander?"  
  
"You let me deal with him. As for now, I have an appointment with the young lady, so unless you are registered nurses, I suggest you leave."  
  
"We will have to report you to the Commander."  
  
"Fine you do that."  
  
As the Doctor stood there the two men gauged their actions, and withdrew, making sure to take the ID off the table, and audibly locking the door as they left. When they had left, he turned to Natima.  
  
"Well, I guess for now you'll be ok. However, the Commander is not going to be happy."  
  
"He...he..." Natima said, shaking some.  
  
"Don't worry" The doctor sat down, wrapping the blanket around her. "I'll help as much as I can."  
  
Natima nodded.  
  
The Doctor laid her back down, and stayed till she went to sleep, before checking her over once, and setting up some devices of his own in the room. He then left and returned to the infirmary, where a very upset Gendo was sitting on a couch, reading a file. He looked very upset, and ready to chew someone out.  
  
"You countermanded my direct order Doctor, you were out of line."  
  
"And you made a pass at another woman."  
  
"Immaterial"  
  
"Very material. A quick survey of 12 women I passed on my way back here supports the actions taken. You made a pass, and for once, got smacked back for it."  
  
"I was tossed against the wall like a rag doll."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
"Why did you countermand my order?"  
  
"You want to arrest her fine, keep her locked in her room. That's arrest enough. Besides, knowing what you probably had in mind, and that she's a minor, and technically still not fully medically cleared...."  
  
"Very well. But she will be punished for her actions."  
  
"That isn't my place to say."  
  
"Oh but it will be. As senior ranking medical here, you will ready the table, and will supervise it's operation." Gendo said with a gleam.  
  
"The table? Jumping right to the worst. I don't agree."  
  
"You don't have to. She will conform, or be destroyed."  
  
"So since you can't pull her strings like you want, you're going to try and make new ones you can have."  
  
"My discretion."  
  
"Yes, it is. It will take me a day or so to get the proper materials and anesthetics together."  
  
"No anesthetic."  
  
"Your joking."  
  
"No, I will pay her back for the pain she gave me."  
  
"The pain you will be giving her is unparalleled"  
  
"You assume she will remember any of it."  
  
"Be careful playing God Commander," The Doctor said, heading to leave, "The real one may not like what you do."  
  
"I am the only one that matters. Do not forget that doctor." Gendo said, laying back down as the Doctor left.  
  
  
In the SEELE chamber.  
  
"What do you mean, he's using the table?"  
  
"Just that. Burmese reports Gendo has determined his doll isn't as she should be, and wants to use the table to adjust this oversight."  
  
"Will it work that way?"  
  
"On a normal person, yes. On her, who knows."  
  
"And what does Burmese suspect?"  
  
"He states he can make no guarantee, but states he would not be surprised if she not only lives, but comes out hating Ikari even more."  
  
"Assuming she still has a mind when done."  
  
"Assuming this yes."  
  
"How do we proceed?"  
  
"We will wait and see the outcome of the procedure. The exact DNA sequence used in her creation has already been corrupted and black listed in the terminal system, so an exact copy is impossible. After the procedure, we shall make our judgment. Tell Burmese he may proceed."  
  
The lights all blinked out, leaving number one alone. He sighed deeply, and pulled his visor off, revealing his own set of battered and grizzled eyes. He pulls a small object from his lap, and punches in a code, a small hologram of a dear parted friend pops up, and plays through a long message. When it finishes, the image dies, and a puff of smoke comes from the thing, now dead, it's message lost. He looks up and whispers to the ceiling, and replaces his visor, and fades out of sight himself.  
  
'In the quest for redemption, we have killed our own souls. The Lord knows this, still watching even us, as we turn our own kind towards a path of salvation through drastic means. Do these means justify our actions. Are we so eager to finally pass on we condemn those we say we are trying to save. I do not know if I will be saved, or spend eternity in hell, but this much I am sure of. I leave this plane a gift, a life. An innocent who is more than normal, and may be the salvation our tortured souls have been looking for. If we cannot save ourselves, why bother to try and save the race. God's in his heaven, All's well with the World.'  
  
  
Gendo was still livid. Not only had his doll been corrupted somehow, but the DNA sequence was no longer usable, or even readable. Whatever he had done, he could not duplicate it now. If he did have to kill her, he couldn't make another look like her. On top of that was the report that he had been tossed across his office by an AT field, something that was a bit hard to swallow. He was drawing up the formal orders for whichever action he had to undertake, either declaring her a NERV piece of property, or ordering her death. All would be decided in a few days. That and having to deal with Akagi. She had seen finally a picture of his doll, and he had a splitting headache from dealing with her and her tirade about it. Honestly, you would think she thought he should be hers and hers alone or something. Never mind her body wasn't up to par as far as he was concerned. He dropped the file folders and turned to look out his windows, waiting for the festivities to begin.  
  
Natima slowly woke up, and found herself someplace she thought she shouldn't be. She tried to sit up, but found her arms, and subsequently her legs, restrained down quite tight to a hard table. A bright light above her removed any ability to see around her, as she became aware of a gag in her mouth. As she started to panic, testing her bonds, trying to see, several faces covered in doctors shrouds came into view. One she saw was the Doctor, who's face was solemn, and not happy. The others held a look of just doing their job. Two faces held pleasure on them, one was the jerk Commander, and the other reminded her of some woman she heard of named Akagi. She looked down, and saw an IV in each arm, and a very thin sheet covering her body. Her eyes were wide in fear.  
  
"Now I will pay you back for what you did to me." The Commander said, as he and the other faces all left.  
  
The Doctors face came into view, his eyes trying to apologize for this, something was going to happen, and Natima didn't like the concept.  
  
"Begin Doctor." Came the order.  
  
The Doctor nodded, and leaned down to Natima's face, brushing the hair out of her face, and whispering to her.  
  
"I'm sorry, I truly and deeply am. Please protect her." He whispered, going to the head of the table, and typing on a terminal.  
  
Natima heard a soft hum, and a soft blue glow emanated from a frame of some sort past her feet. The device began to slowly move upwards, as Natima could almost feel the Doctor move away as the light went off above her as the field began to pass over her body. She had never felt such pain. Every muscle in her body tried to pull away from it, as she tried to scream loudly, the gag preventing it. Her eyes were wide as it felt like every cell in her foot was being frozen, burned, twisted and crushed with the extreme tools of the trade. The pain just never stopped, her body refused to black out. She couldn't even adjust and grow used to it, for it slowly, ever so slowly moved up her body. If she could see though the haze of pain, she would see Gendo and the Akagi woman smiling as they watched this perverse display of entertainment, as the Doctor sadly watched the progress on his terminal, unable to give her pain medicine.  
  
For hours on end the process continued. Gendo had retired to his office, checking in every so often. The sheet burning away under the field as it passed up and down her body. Some 70 hours later the field finally shut off, and her body, worn, and very tired, finally slipped into unconsciousness from the ordeal, as she was carried roughly to the infirmary. The Doctor returned, and ripped his gear off, immediately moving the limp young lady to a more comfortable bed, and setting a blanket atop her. He pulled a chair up, and began to read, passing time till he could safely examine her for the possible damage done to her. When the needed time had passed, he set the book down, pulling out his notebook. He slowly began to repeat the physical he gave her a few days earlier, noting her body seemed to have suffered no permanent damage from the ordeal. He looked at her. Such a gamble, such a huge gamble. He hoped It was worth it. But then again, he, and others, had nothing left to lose, even if it wasn't worth it. He finished the exam in short order, and went back to his office to rest on the couch, since it should be several more hours before she regained consciousness.  
  
The Doctor began to stir some time later, and slowly rose from the couch. To his surprise, he got up much faster than he was anticipating. Although this was largely due to the almost naked Natima staggering across the room, anger beyond all reason in her eyes as every motion she took was obviously very painful. The Doctor picked her up, and carried her back in, despite hissing and growling from her.  
  
"Now stay put young lady, you are in no condition to be moving, not that I know how you are."  
  
"Like I should tell you. You said you would protect me. Fat good that did."  
  
"And just where do you think you were going?"  
  
"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to wrap my hands around his throat, and put him though three days of unheard of pain." Natima clenched her hands, despite the pain.  
  
"Well then at least part of you is still with us, that's a relief."  
  
"Part? PART!? What in Hell's name does that mean. DO you have any idea what YOU just finished putting me through?" Natima was already sitting up, ignoring the pain, which of course the Doctor was noticing.  
  
"Yes, I do. I know it's not pleasant, and it was only because I was ordered to that I did it, and it was by order no anesthetic was given."  
  
"I don't give a rat's backside about orders. I'm going up there, and I'm going to put his parts into a new order...a non living one!"  
  
"Dressed in a blanket? Besides, do you have any idea what was supposed to happen to you?"  
  
"I don't care right now. He's a dead man...."  
  
"Well, as much as I want to let you, I can't. You are not leaving this Infirmary till I say you are ready, and ready will be pain free. So lay back down, before I have to restrain you."  
  
"Like I should trust anything you say."  
  
"Believe what you will, but in here, I am lord and master."  
  
Natima grumbled, and tried to leave four more times, finally laying back down when a set of restraints were brought out. She repeatedly refused the offers of pain medicine, not that the doctor could blame her. She probably hated all adults, all men by this point, but at least she seemed to be herself. It would have almost been worth it to let her go, to see if she would kill Gendo. If it was an AT field that tossed him across the room, then in her current condition and state of anger, it would take an army to slow her down. Natima just tossed and turned on the cot, the pain subsiding very slowly, only to be replaced with very sore muscles, and a headache bigger than the geofront. The doctor had gone and transmitted his report on her results to the council, and the results of her physical to Gendo, with explicit instructions not to come down, that she would be sent to him when she was recovered physically.  
  
Later that evening, the doctor returned to his patient, to find her half asleep, tossing her head in what was most likely a terrible nightmare. He couldn't be more right. Visions of pain and suffering wracked the girls mind, feelings of helplessness and despair. Total lack of control, yet at the same time, something else. Something, not quite herself, but not alien, something buffering her from the full pain, yet unable to just let her pass out. This, and another presence, a soft echo, almost completely drowned out by the intense spears of pain, a soft echo asking her, begging her to find, to find something, to do something, but she couldn't make it out. Images of the Doctor, with his sad expression, nurses and other women looking at her with contempt for how she looked, and Gendo, leering at her and laughing. Her mind snapped awake, as she sat up quickly, grabbing herself, and breaking out in a cold sweat, almost screaming. A hand touched her shoulder and she lashed out without thinking, a loud crash coming as the hand released her, being flung a few feet into a cart.  
  
"Well, I guess your self defense reflexes have recovered, ouch." Said a very surprised, and now bruised Doctor as he got up off the floor.  
  
Natima just looked over, slowly trying to calm down, falling back against the bed, swallowing hard, trying to get a grip and a handle on her emotions. She had done it again without thinking, she had felt afraid, scared, threatened, and something, something came to her aid. She was so confused, so worried, she just turned her head and began to cry, falling back asleep. When she came too, she looked around. She was no longer in the infirmary, she was back in her room, covered by sheets and blankets, much more comfortable than the infirmary beds. She sat up, still sore and achy all over. She pulled the blankets back, to find an oversized tee shirt and shorts on her, better than nothing as she staggered to the bathroom, and then out to the kitchen and main room. She glanced out, and saw the Doctor on the couch, head down, asleep, an open book on his chest. She staggered into the kitchen, and pulled out some things to make some food. She was blocking out the pain and discomfort and hunger, and completely missed as a nurse entered her quarters and stood in the doorway to the kitchen.  
  
"I see the Doctor was right about you."  
  
"Ahh" Natima almost fell over, and looked over with a slight scowl "What are you talking about?"  
  
"That you refuse to just let your body get better."  
  
"My prerogative"  
  
"True, but your about to fall down, have a seat, I'll help."  
  
"As if I would trust you. I've seen you, you and the other women giving me evil stares, and you're an adult. Adults aren't real high on my list right now."  
  
"Well sit or I'll make you sit, and either way I'll explain."  
  
Natima was about to retort, when her legs felt weak, and she grabbed the counter, looking at the woman who only smirked. She grumbled, but sat down and let the woman help her out.  
  
"Well I can't help your view of adults, but I can try and apologize for the evil looks."  
  
"Words aren't worth much."  
  
"Well around here, there are other things to consider."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Well, as you found out, the Commander is to say the least a lecherous jerk."  
  
"A dead jerk if he ever gets inside my reach again."  
  
"Well, the evil looks were from false first impressions. You see, around here, there has been times when new girls come through, and they mainly are here because the Commander is chasing skirts."  
  
"I thought he was married."  
  
"He was, and even when was, and after she died, he still chased anything with a skirt."  
  
"So why the evil looks?"  
  
"We thought you were the latest bimbo to walk in."  
  
"Gee, thanks I think." Natima said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Well if we still thought that, I wouldn't be here. You did something we all wanted to do, but couldn't"  
  
"And what was that."  
  
"Rebuff the Commander in a direct physical way."  
  
"He tried to rip my clothes off."  
  
"And for that, you let him have it. He deserved it, but the rest of us have families or bills to consider."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Ahh to be young again. Basically everyone here has secrets. Things we have to cope with ourselves, or things that were getting very hard to manage in our previous lines of work. In a way, it's how the Commander ensures compliance, since anyone who talks back gets fired, or worse."  
  
"And I'm different how?"  
  
"Well you apparently don't have a string he can pull, or didn't know. Either way, you stood your ground, and that will get you respect. At least from us it will. Then, you survived the table. Although the Commander doesn't know it yet, and I can imagine he'll be quite cross."  
  
"The table?"  
  
"The table." Came the voice of the Doctor.  
  
"Morning Doctor. Watching over your charge again?"  
  
"Yes, I felt her quarters would be more comfortable that the infirmary."  
  
Natima mumbled under her breath.  
  
"And please thank Betty for seeing to changing Natima's attire." He said, and looked at Natima "I don't take advantage of women, a nurse is the one who dressed you and moved you here."  
  
"Whatever." Natima said.  
  
"The table is what we call the equipment and procedure Gendo ordered you put through. Basically a very advanced gene therapy system. In basic terms, it tries to adjust a subjects genetic makeup. It was developed for systemic cancers and the like."  
  
"So basically try and alter a person's DNA?"  
  
"Basically. It was never intended for what he had in mind, nor was it ever designed to be done to the entire body, let alone one without pain killers."  
  
"So what was he trying to do to me then?"  
  
"I don't know. He entered the sequences, I just watched the terminal and your vitals. But whatever it was, I don't think it worked."  
  
"I know it didn't work Doctor." The nurse said, putting out three plates of food for everyone, and sitting down.  
  
"Well I guess we'll never know." Natima said with a loathing in her voice.  
  
"I do agree with the Nurse. I don't think it worked."  
  
"Well all I know is I have never felt so sore in my entire life."  
  
"Not to mention you should have been out for about two more days, not to mention need a week to recover once you woke up." The nurse said, taking a bite of her food.  
  
Natima just shrugged.  
  
"Well Natima, I will warn you. The Commander will be ordering you to his office again. I'm not saying you have to play along, or agree with what he says, but be careful."  
  
"Why? The only way he is going to touch me is when my fingers clench around his cowardly throat."  
  
"The Commander is definitely in for a surprise."  
  
Breakfast passed without much other than a few words, the Doctor leaving to do some paperwork, the Nurse staying, and helping Natima clean up, and get back to bed, telling her to rest up, since the Commander wasn't going anywhere. She also dropped off a few cards of apology from the other ladies from around the base. It was hard for Natima to stay angry, the fa‡ade gradually falling, as she laid down in her bed, and gave into the soreness and fatigue in her body, and fell back asleep.  
  
  
"Well Burmese, what is your report?" One requested.  
  
"Sir, I am relieved to report my analysis was correct. It appears the test subject has not suffered any alterations to her structure."  
  
"So, the table failed?"  
  
"More likely due to her specific nature than the procedure."  
  
"What is her current condition?"  
  
"She is recovering. Very sore, physically weak, but exceeding expectations. And she is livid with Ikari."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"Projections were she should have stayed unconscious for a minimum of two days, with an additional seven after that to recover to a point of function. She awoke after barely 12 hours, and is even now walking. She is hiding the fatigue and pain, it is evident in her motion, but she refuses to give into it. Additionally, she holds Ikari accountable, and I believe were she given the chance right now, would take his life."  
  
"As stubborn and driven as the people who made her up."  
  
"Indeed. I surmise her dual nature made it impossible to alter her structure, the one fulfilling it's promise to protect the other."  
  
"Indeed. And what is Ikari's stand?"  
  
"As yet, he does not know she is unchanged. I suspect he will summon her when she is cleared, and try again, with a degree of hesitancy."  
  
"And his likely course of action?"  
  
"My personal guess is either another round on the table, or simply kill her and try again with Central Dogma."  
  
"Your opinion and recommendation?"  
  
"Personal, or professional?"  
  
"Both."  
  
"As they are mixed, they are the same. To allow her to perish would mean we lose a valuable resource. One that knows who is truly in command, and can provide insight and aide into furthering the agendas of the council. Also, she is a person, even if a half angel. She has the right to live something of a life, not a short few weeks and then discarded like a broken doll."  
  
"Burmese, it seems there is quite a bit of personal attachment in this issue." Came a random comment.  
  
"I stated before that this situation was blurring that line."  
  
"Could it be possible you are being swayed by certain urges?"  
  
A shot rang out in the SEELE chamber.  
  
"Not withstanding the new vacancy, can you address that issue Burmese?"  
  
"While I admit my personal feelings are crossing over in this incident, it is not caused by the baser needs of flesh."  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
"A number of things. A passage from Bengal which hits perhaps a bit too close to my own self. A life that exists, and is free, when it was designed to be caged. To see this experiment continue. To see if she truly can figure out life."  
  
"Thank you Burmese. That will be all."  
  
"By your leave sir." Burmese said, and vanished from the chamber.  
  
"Well, what shall we do?" Came a nervous voice.  
  
"Other than find a new member." Said another.  
  
"I believe we shall see what Ikari does. I understand US-2 will be needing a test pilot for the prototyping tests they are to perform."  
  
"That is correct. The available field is rather slim, doubly so given the experimental nature of the facility."  
  
"Then if Ikari tries to take her life, we can order him to send her there. She should allow for easier tests, as well as isolating her from him."  
  
"Will that not push our position. Ikari would be more likely to object, and cut her off."  
  
"Burmese can obtain the records Ikari is holding as collateral, and Bengal does have a rather large estate value we must disperse."  
  
"One, I wonder if your feelings are not clouded on this."  
  
"Gentlemen, it is not your place to question me. What I choose to do is my choice. If you must have a reason, call it an experiment in humanity."  
  
"We have already seen those."  
  
All the points of light save One and another blinked out.  
  
"Lorentz, if you are doing this out of respect for Bengal, or fulfilling a last request of his, that is all you must say. We may be playing God, but we are all still human enough to remember what life could have been." And the light blinked out,  
  
"If I knew the answer myself, I would tell you all. This goes beyond promises, or debts. Into a realm I haven't visited in many many years. Hopefully this time I can come back a better being for the effort."  
  
One sighed as he finished talking to the walls, pulling up a screen, and beginning type out an order, and set things in motion to try and protect something he was beginning to agree needed some protection.  
  
  
To be continued.......  
  
  
There is Chapter 3, and hopefully chapter 4 will be doen soon. Look also for my other fics, Power of Pain, and the Protectorate. I hope people enjoy reading my somewhat quirky takes on Anime series.  
  
Izcer4  
Izcer4@rocketmail.com 


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